Oscar, It's raining cats and dogs out there. Where does that phrase come from? -- Pheryperbol

Raining cats and dogs... what an image! What do they think is going to happen, we're going to get swept up in the wind and come pouring down? Ridiculous. Those humans sure have some imagination.

The phrase does come up twice in literature. The playwright Richard Brome wrote this line in his 1653 comedy The City Wit or the Woman Wears the Breeches: "It shall raine... dogs and polecats." My main question about Brome's line is this: what the heck is a "polecat"?

In 1738, Jonathan Swift (of Gulliver fame) wrote a long essay with a long title: A Compleat Collection of Polite and Ingenious Conversation. "I know St. John will go," Swift writes, "though he was sure it would rain cats and dogs." A few comments about Swift's line: One, learn how to spell "Complete", will you Jonny? Two, St. John was right not to alter his plans; no one ever knows what the weather's going to do. Regardless of the weather predictions, just go ahead (unless you're talking about climbing tall mountains and there is a threat of lightning). For example, members of the Run With Jan group ran anywhere from 4 to 18 miles this past Sunday on the Burlington Bike Path. It rained the whole way, and after the recent heat and humidity it felt great.

Lastly, Swift was no meteorologist. Let me set the record straight: despite the popularity of the phrase, cats and dogs simply don't fall from the sky.

Guest in the House

Thanks Michelle for coming to visit, run, and play while my owners were away! And thanks for the excellent report card; you can dogsit anytime! O

Oscar, Why do you like porcupines so much? And where do you prefer to be quilled, nose, leg, or tail? -- Ali

I am an "Equal Opportunity" dog, who really believes in the best of all people and things. I don't care who you are; I just assume that you want to play with me! Porcupines, squirrels, deer, grown-ups, kids, grand-parents -- it doesn't matter who they are. I just want to walk up to all of them, wag my tail, put my feet on their chest, and give them a big sloppy lick right on the nose.

As for being quilled, I don't want to be quilled anywhere. I just want to play!

Oscar, what's your favorite place to swim?

I generally prefer anyplace where it's wet. We could be talking about a pond, lake, river, swamp, bog, mud-puddle, ocean, or bathtub. Actually, scratch the bathtub; tubs are bad news.

Oscar, Pavement hurts my pads. Where do you prefer to run, on pavement or dirt? -- Boulder

Boulder, Dirt is better for lots of reasons. One, it's simply more scenic and interesting. Two, dirt often implies fewer cars. Three, dirt is a softer surface, and I know my owner's knees can't handle too much pounding on pavement. Personally, I'll run anywhere -- in fact, I usually prefer to run than walk. Really, my only two speeds are "fast" and "sleeping."

One nice thing about the occasional stint on pavement is that the asphalt rounds off my toenails. That's helpful, because I don't really like using a file.

I was wondering how you keep yourself so clean? -- Rob

One word for you, Rob: "swimming."

Oscar, Love your blog! You seem so wise for your years. Any tips for how to stay cool during these "dog days" of summer? -- Ruth

Thanks Ruth! Ah, the dog days of summer... I love 'em! Many dogs find that digging a hole in the middle of the driveway, then laying in it, works well. Take my advice: this is a short-term solution. Next thing you know, your owner, carrying six bags of groceries, steps in the hole and twists an ankle. Not a good scene.

Outside, I recommend shade trees and tall grass. Indoors, pull the curtains and blinds over your windows to keep the house cool. Also, fans. For example, in the photo above, Scout the cat stays quite cool in a shady corner of the house. While I also enjoy a cool dip in the river during a summer day, Scout likes the shower. What can I say? Cats are just weird.

Regarding the comment about my wisdom and intellect at such a young age, I will point out that the old adage that dogs age 7 years for each human year may not be entirely on target. Ted Kerasote, author of Merle's Door (great read!), speaks of more recent studies that indicate that the first 2 years of a dog's life are more like 12 human years, with subsequent dog years equating to 4 human years. So this makes me about 17 or 18 years old -- a very wise age, if I do say so myself.

On the subject, any idea how they came up with the phrase "dog days"? Why not "cat days" or "cow days"? -- Ruth

It is not entirely clear who came up with the phrase or why. It is clearly, however, a reference to the hierarchy of animal importance: dogs, then the rest -- including cats and cows.

Do you incorporate speed work into your training schedule?

First off, it is important to specify what people mean when they talk about "speed work." In training, speed work usually refers to interval training at your VO2 max rate -- "the highest rate of oxygen consumption attainable during maximal or exhaustive exercise." The higher your VO2 max, the more oxygen your muscles can process during exercise. VO2 max is closely tied to genetics, but speed work -- particularly interval training -- can increase it.

Runners also use a term known as a "tempo run." Tempo runs refer to running for periods of time at a rate just below the "lactate threshold" pace. What the heck is this dog talking about? Your lactate threshold is the point at which the body's ability to clear lactate, the by-product of metabolism, can't keep up with lactate production. Generally, the lactate threshold is about your race pace. Tempo runs, then, are runs that incorporate periods where you run just below your race pace. Experts generalize by calling it "comfortably hard." For those of you with the ability to talk, just below your lactate threshold would be running at a rate where you can say a few words ("where's the dog?"), but you couldn't have a lengthy conversation. ("Right over there.") Tempo runs vary based on the length of the event you're training for, but they comprise of an easy warm-up, a period of time running just below the lactate threshold rate, a brief rest (running slowly or walking), another stretch of "comfortably hard," and a warm-down.

Back to your question, yes, I incorporate speed. I do interval training at the dog park and when I see wildlife. I don't usually do tempo runs; for me and my running partners, their tempo pace is my LSD -- long slow distance. I don't mind, though. They're working on it, and -- through training -- they can increase both their VO2 max rates and their lactate thresholds.

Oscar, why do you always come when called? Is it simply your good breeding? -- Howard

That is an excellent observation, Howard. I always come when called (if I deem the request appropriate and reasonable).

As to my breeding, my mother is a yellow lab who was rescued as a stray by a family in Virginia. Weeks later, I was born -- along with five siblings. Not all are yellow like me -- some of the markings on the others suggest that my father may have been all or partly hound. We spent our first four months playing in an outdoor pen, when a lady named Sonja Moore from an organization called Save-a-Pet came down, loaded us and forty other dogs that would have most likely wound up in a southern kill shelter into crates in a horse trailer, and drove us up to Vermont.

I think Sonja is a great lady, but I also think her trailer weaves slightly on the highway, so I got a little sick on my way up here. Therefore, I am not a fan of crates (research shows that it is the rare dog who actually lives in a "den" anyway). I do, however, enjoy car rides, as long as I can stick my head out the window (even in the dead of winter) and especially if I get to visit a dog park or go for a run at the end of it. I also love Vermont, where -- thanks to Sonja -- all 40-something of us were placed in loving homes.

What is your favorite post-run activity? -- Ali

If at all possible, I prefer to run some more. Otherwise, I like swimming, playing at the dog-park, or sleeping (see photo). Those are all pretty good.

How did you develop your excellent taste in red wine? Do you have any advice in selecting a bottle? -- Carol

Hemingway called wine the most civilized thing in the world. I agree, and an appreciation for good wine is also highly civilized. I usually approach a low-placed and unwatched wine glass slowly, sniff carefully, then gently nudge the it so that it falls over. Then I lap it right up off the floor or table before anyone has a chance to wipe it up. If a glass is filled full enough, I can often get a few licks right out of the glass.

As dogs are not allowed in grocery stores, I prefer to get my wine at Richmond Beverage, where they keep dog cookies behind the counter.

How did you get interested in running?

I started running as a puppy. Whenever somebody filled my puppy food dish, I would RUN over to it when they said "okay." In fact, I still do.